A Father's Promise
by jarjayes
Summary: A collection of InuPapa shorts. InuPapa, SessMom, and eventually Sesshoumaru and InuYasha CHAPTER 4 FINALLY UP!
1. A Father's Promise

**Title:** A Father's Promise.  
**Genres: **Retrospect  
**Pairings Represented: **None  
**Word Count:** 317  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** A moment with Inu-Papa and his father.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha or its character except the ones I've made up to spice up the story.

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When I was a young demon my father took me out to the edge of a mountain cliff to show me the valley below. It was beautiful and the sun had just come up. That was when he told me: "My son, one day all this shall be yours. You will rule this land with strength and wisdom. Your subjects will respect you; your enemies will fear you." In that, I remembered nodding my head in concurrence to my father's words. Back then, the world was younger and the lands more savage. We were new to this earth and this new place was strange but already my father vanquished a native youkai tribe of dire wolves. The wolves were wild and showed no regard for anything. Before we arrived from the Continent they ruled this land-- this land whose sun shown red upon rising each morning.

I took a deep breath admiring the bath of gold administered by the sun's warm rays upon the valley I would soon call home. There was an immense lake neatly nestled within its luscious bosom0. I almost cried from emotion but held back the urges to succumb to my tears so then my father would not think any less of me and take back his promise of giving me this land as my kingdom. But, I hoped too much. My father knew me better than I knew myself. In that instant, he reached over and placed his warm hand upon the crown of my head. I looked up and saw him smile. In response to that, I smiled back and he took that as an invitation and brought me closer to his side. In that moment, I knew I was loved.

Then, as if pledging a silent oath, I swore with every breath in my little body that the day I had my own offspring they would be loved as well.

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_**Please leave me reviews.**_

_**On a separate note, I am thinking about eventually turning this into a full-fledged fanfic. I've always had this curiousity to explore the Inu no Taishou family tree even if it means making the entire thing up.**_


	2. Gin Silver

**Title:** **Gin**

**Author: ****Jarjayes**

**Fandom: InuYasha**

**Rating: PG**

**Genre(s): Drama**

**Pairings: Inu-Papa/SessMom**

**Word Count: 348**

**Summary: Inu no Taisho is a first time father. **

_**Gin**_

The first time I laid eyes on her I could not help but be overwhelmed by happiness. I had a daughter and she was very beautiful. Despite being exhausted from her ordeal, Zayura nursed her—and I watched with tenderness in my heart.

The midwife watched her attentively from her position under the window ready to remove the child as soon as the girl had her fill of Zayura's milk. Instinctively, I moved closer to Zayura and wrapped my arms around her for added support. She looked up at me with her usual cold eyes; they turned warm. With that I kissed her forehead and she responded by placing her head elegant upon my shoulder.

"She is beautiful," I said.

"I would have rather given you a son," she replied in return.

Then I answered, "It is not for you to decide what to give me."

There was a moment of silence as she thought out her reply. Knowing her the way I knew her, Zayura wanted to make her point and she was not going to give in until she did.

"But would it not be grand to have a son to carry your name?" she insisted. "Do not tell me you are completely happy that our child was born female and not male?"

Truth be told, I would have liked a son but looking upon my daughter's face and hearing the sweet sounds of her suckling on Zayura's breast, I was happy she was born nonetheless.

"I am happy," I answered my wife.

Zayura then looked down upon our child and then said, "If you are happy then I am happy."

"What will we call her?" I asked for indeed, I had not the slightest idea of a proper girl's name in my head.

"Gin," Zayura stated. "Like the color of her hair."

Gin did not have much hair. I was not even sure this name was appropriate for an Inu-youkai princess. Even my mother had a longer, more prominent name. But then I smiled upon my daughter's face.

"Then Gin it is," I finally agreed.


	3. Hokori Pride

**Title: Hokori**

**Author: ****Jarjayes**

**Fandom: InuYasha**

**Rating: PG**

**Genre(s): Drama/Humor**

**Pairings: Inu-Papa/SessMom**

**Word Count: 787**

**Summary: When Inu no Taisho thought he knew all there was to life he finds out that he really doesn't know a whole lot.**

Hokori "Father?" she asked. 

"Hm?" I replied while looking over important treaties.

"Why is the sky blue and not green like the grass?"

I looked up from my papers to meet her inquisitive eyes. Hokori, being as curious as she was and wanting an answer for everything, awaited my reply. To be honest with myself, I did not know why the sky was the way it was nor did I know why the grass was green. However, she wanted to know and as her father I should have had the answers to her queries—her constant queries. That was where she and Gin differed. Gin accepted whatever answers were provided for her and saw the world the way that it was. Hokori, however, did not accept things as they were. She was the type of intellect that wanted to break things down to their smallest components and study each piece separately until she understood it as a whole.

"Why is the sky blue and not green?" I repeated the question more for myself than for her, trying to pull the answer from midair. "Because..." I knew I was in trouble; I knew this as she continued to stare at me. "Because...if...if the sky were the same color as the grass, you would not be able to tell them apart." That was close.

"Oh."

"Did I answer your question?"

"I am not done yet."

"There is more?" I asked her. She nodded.

If I were not a reasonable demon I would have undone my own obi and hung myself with it. I threw my papers aside and motioned her to come sit on my lap. Without hesitation, she hopped up from where she was and accommodated herself within the gap of my legs. "Now, what is it you want to know?"

"Why do butterflies have wings?"

"That is easy; to fly from flower to flower."

"Why?"

"For food."

"Is that why birds have wings too?"

I nodded.

"So, they need wings to fly," she said in confirmation.

I nodded again but I knew this questioning was far from over.

"Hmm? I'm confused."

"Why is that?"

"Well, if birds need wings to fly and butterflies need wings to fly then how come you can fly and you don't have wings?" Oh _Kami_. "And if they both fly because of food then how come you don't need to fly in order to hunt, Father?" Perhaps, I thought, perhaps it was not beyond reason to kill myself now.

"You are very clever." I chuckled.

But she was not buying it. She awaited a reply and I was afraid that it would be too complicated for her to understand.

"Birds..." I began with a lot of doubt on my mind, "birds and butterflies need wings to fly because their food source have wings…and sometimes they are found too high up from the ground to reach. Butterflies eat nectar. Birds eat butterflies. Birds and butterflies are of this world and were made that way to survive. You understand?"

She nodded but then her confusion came back.

"But you don't have wings, Father. I don't understand."

"There are some exceptions, I suppose. We are different, though. Unlike birds and butterflies, we don't need wings to fly because we are not of this world. We are made differently and we use different things to survive. Do you understand?"

"If we are not of this world then why are we here?" _Dammit._ If she were not my second born I would...

"Hokori,"summoned the all too familiar voice of her mother. Yes, I was saved.

"Yes, Mama?"

"Come now, it is time for your bath," she said calmly.

"But?"

"Besides, your father has a lot of work to do to be bothered with your questions. Come now."

Hokori sighed and then looked up at me. It broke my heart to see her staring at me with those puppy eyes but I was thankful Zayura came when she did. I did not have the answer to her questions. Hopefully, she would forget everything during her bath-- and, hopefully, occupy herself playing with Gin.

"Your mother awaits you," I said gently but with authority.

She looked back at her mother and then rose from my lap. But before she left she turned to me one more time and said, "All right but we talk about this later." With that, she skipped out the door. Zayura smiled mischievously before following after Hokori.

I was alone at last with time to go back to my papers. As I picked up the treaties, I thought on why we were here in this world and not in the other. I thought on how to best answer Hokori's last question and contemplated--

I was screwed.


	4. Sakura

**_Finally, the fourth chappie is here. If it's perfect or not, I don't know and I don't care, at least not right now. I did as much editing as I could for today. _**

**_Anyhow, you've all been waiting for this one and here it finally is!_**

**_Disclaimer: Don't own InuYasha, Sesshoumaru, or Father---but Sakura, Gin, and the other children are mine._**

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**Sakura**

There is something definitely wrong with that child.

Ever since her birth, there was something wrong.

She does not act or react like the others.

Sakura was our miracle child; she almost died—in fact, both she and her mother almost died while Zayura gave birth to her. But ever since then, she was our special child, not only because she survived but also because she came out different from the others. From our modest litter, Sakura was the only one born with pitch-black hair and blue eyes—unlike the others. There are ugly rumors that she is not even mine, but I doubt that.

Sakura spends most of her time staring into space as if looking for something in the skies. Unlike her sisters, she is not much into talking. She just stares into nothing. Mother tells me that it is just a phase and that some children tend to be like that. However, I am not all too sure it is a phase with her. There is something within her eyes that is distinct from the others, a certain glint of something far more complex that any of us would not dare to venture—like a certain understanding of things that surpasses normal comprehension.

Darkness.

Just the other day, after finally coming back from an arduous month of resolving a border dispute, I found her in one of the rooms playing with Sesshoumaru, or at least, just watching him crawl all over the place putting things into his mouth. It was a very curious sight since Sakura usually showed no interest in her brother. In that, I decided to hide and see what she would do next. Children tend to act differently when they are not being watched. She did nothing... she simply stared at him with a stoic look to her eyes.

I almost kicked myself.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, crawled about exploring the expanse of the tatami floor and found more amusement to looking down its woven surface and smelling it.

Then, suddenly, Sakura rose to her feet and walked over to the baby, standing over him. She looked down upon him and he in turn looked up at her with bright innocent eyes, forgetting the tatami completely. In that moment, Sesshoumaru sat right on his bottom and threw his tiny arms up to her.

"Da!" he cried, demanding to be picked up. My heart went warm to see his face brighten with excitement.

Then, suddenly, my little Sakura responded, "You want me to pick you up?" Her face remained deadpan.

"Da!" he barked out his affirmation.

"Okay, I'll pick you up."

With that, she bent down to gather Sesshoumaru up in her little arms. It was then I felt my heart go warmer at the sight of this. Never have I seen Sakura interact like this with any of her siblings. In that moment, I felt that there was still hope for her and that my mother was right…it was only a phase she was going through. Every child was different and Sakura was no exception to that rule. Some are just a little late in blooming than others and I have finally been confirmed by witnessing that display of affection.

I wanted, more than anything, to come out of hiding and put my arms around her. I wanted to cry my joy. I wanted everyone to know that my child was normal-- as normal as my other children.

Alas, my victory was cut short when all of a sudden she opened the lid to a basket and dumped Sesshoumaru inside.

"Now you be quiet or else someone will find you," she said to him as he looked at her with confusion. But before he could protest, she closed the lid and pushed the basket, with Sesshoumaru crying in it, into the closet.

_She did not just do that?_, I thought as she slid the screen door shut. Sakura clapped her hands together to rid them of dust. In that moment, another screen door slid open and Gin walked in.

"Sakura?" Gin chimed. "Have you seen Sesshoumaru?"

"No," Sakura answered coolly without hesitation. "But maybe Father has seen him."

"Father?"

"Yes, he's right there," Sakura pointed to my direction, "why don't you ask him?"

_Of all that is not holy...She did not just do that._

"Father?"

I was startled out of indignation by Gin's little voice as she stood there with concern in her eyes. That was my cue to emerge. When I did, Gin's face lit up and she did not hesitate to run up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Father, when did you arrive?" she asked me in her little voice, looking up at me with innocent little eyes.

"Just now," I replied, still in shock.

"Mother has been wondering about you." In that moment, I looked up and caught sight of Sakura quickly leaving the room like a devil with wings on her heels. Gin also noticed her sudden departure. "That's strange, she didn't stay to say hello."

I placed my hand on Gin's head and told her, "Tell your mother I'll be there shortly."

"Oh Goodness, I still have to find Sesshoumaru."

"Don't worry, I'll find him. Now, go tell your mother. There's no need to worry her."

Gin detached herself from me and bowed her respects, I nodded, giving her permission to leave, which she did.

As soon as I realized that she was far from ears' reach, I walked over to the closet, slid the screen open, and pulled the basket out in retrieve. I popped the lid open and was greeted by a teary- faced, snot-drenched Sesshoumaru, who smiled the moment he realized he was saved.

Sakura was definitely going to hear from me later.

For now, I just gathered my son and told him everything was all right.

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Please review and tell me what you honestly think.

Actually, I liked Sakura so much, I'm already developing a fic around her which I hope proves awesome.

**Next Time:** The twins-Renga and Kiree.


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